Day 97

Joshua 5–6 | Acts 1 | Psalm 41

It’s a story etched into history—one I remember singing about in Sunday school.

But it never gets old.

God’s people stand on the brink of the Promised Land. And towering between them and their inheritance is Jericho—a fortress wrapped in thick, unyielding walls. A problem too big to move.

And God’s battle plan? Nothing like they’d expect.

“March around the city once a day for six days. On the seventh day, march around it seven times. Then shout.” (Joshua 6:3–5)

That’s it. No battering rams. No siege towers. Just a silent march and a final shout.

It must have felt ridiculous.

Like walking in circles.

Like being faithful when nothing seems to change.

But the walls fell.

Not because they shouted the loudest. Not because their feet were strong. But because God was faithful. Because He moves when obedience meets His promise.

When Obedience Feels Pointless

Sometimes I feel like I’m walking in circles.

Fighting the same battle.

Praying the same prayer.

Waiting for the same breakthrough that never seems to come.

I think of my hand injury. Months of praying for healing. Trying to adjust to new limitations. Wondering why God doesn’t just fix it already.

And then there’s work—the fear that the next email might be the one that says I’m done. The uncertainty of whether I’ll have insurance when I finally get the surgery I need.

And through it all, I keep hearing, “Wait.”

It feels maddening—like God is standing still while I’m desperate for movement.

And sometimes I just want to take control—polish my resume, work my connections, push for the next step.

Because waiting feels like doing nothing, and I hate feeling useless.

But then I think of Jericho.

And I think of those Israelite soldiers walking lap after lap, knowing their feet weren’t the point—God’s faithfulness was.

He didn’t ask them to make sense of it.

He just asked them to obey.

Learning to Wait When I Want to Move

In Acts 1, the disciples are ready to charge forward. They’ve seen the risen Christ. They’re fired up.

And what does Jesus say?

“Wait for the promise of the Father…” (Acts 1:4)

Wait.

Not charge ahead.

Not make something happen.

Just… wait.

I hate that word.

I hate not knowing how long this season will last.

But maybe God’s doing something in the waiting that I can’t see yet.

Because when Pentecost came, it wasn’t just power—it was perfect timing.

God didn’t just give them strength. He gave them the right moment to change the world.

And maybe that’s what God’s doing in me—shaping me through the uncertainty.

Teaching me to loosen my grip on control.

Reminding me that obedience doesn’t always look like progress.

Faith That Keeps Walking

It’s not what I want to hear.

I want to make something happen.

To push through and break down the wall myself.

But sometimes, the most courageous act of faith is to keep walking when I feel like quitting.

To trust that even when I don’t see movement, God is working.

To believe that His timing is better than mine, even when I can’t see it.

Maybe the breakthrough isn’t the wall falling.

Maybe it’s my faith growing.

Maybe it’s learning to walk when I don’t understand.

Learning to trust when I’d rather rush.

Believing that faithful obedience itself is a testimony—one that declares, “God is worth waiting for.”

⸻

Lord, help me to keep walking when the walls don’t fall. Teach me to trust You enough to circle in faith instead of charging ahead in my own strength. I don’t want to force solutions or make things happen on my own. I want to obey—whether the breakthrough comes today or not at all. Help me trust that You are faithful, even when the path feels foolish. Amen.